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4 Steps for a Successful Fitness Routine
Hey there Diva friends!
I get questions all the time about working out, so I wanted to give you my top 4 tips to being successful!!!
Top 4 workout tips
1) Have a plan. There's nothing worse for a personal trainer than going to the gym and seeing the same people walking on the treadmill for hours at a time days on end....why? Because they NEVER SEE RESULTS. I lied - perhaps there is one worse thing, and that's seeing people either completely avoid the weight rack or go over there an have no idea what they are doing, no concept of form, and no plan on how to reach their goals!!!!
So have a plan. Know the equipment. Be willing to ask questions. Get out of your current routine!!!! If your current routine was working, I have a feeling you wouldn't be reading this post :)
Even if you DO have a plan or a goal like "I want to tone my arms" - do you know the number of reps that are optimal? The weight you should use? The rests you should take? Will you (be honest) push yourself hard enough when you're alone and show up as many times a week as you need to? If you are SUPER self motivated and disciplined then WOOHOO! But for the rest of us that leads me to point #2 :)
2) Get yourself a trainer! This might be long term, or it might be short term to familiarize yourself with proper form, what weights to use, how to create a program that works for you etc....Tell your trainer what your goals are and come up with a plan together.
Even me!
If you can't afford a trainer or, like me, you ARE a trainer and want another option, use at home workout programs! I use Beachbody at home workout programs every day. Why? Because they are effective, planned (so I don't have to train myself!), and there is plenty of variety to keep me interested and challenged. PLUS I don't have to hit the gym when I'm not training clients, I can just get down in my tiny basement and get it done when I have time in my day!
Either way - live training or in home workouts - These are ways you can set goals, see what proper form is, have a set schedule, and reach past your own mental limits!
3) Focus on nutrition. It doesn't matter how awesome your workout program is, if you aren't supporting it with good nutrition you WON'T see results!!! Nutrition is truly 90% of your success. It fuels your brain, your cells, your energy and your muscles! Without the proper nutrition you will feel tired, unmotivated, your muscles won't respond appropriately, and your body composition will stay the same. But WITH nutrition PLUS strength training your fat will burn off, your body composition will become leaner, stronger, more muscular, and you will reach a happy, healthy weight!
4) Don't forget to stretch. No matter who you are, what age you are, or how naturally limber you are, do NOT forget to stretch! Make sure you warm up sufficiently for the excercises you will do, and cool down long enough to bring your heart rate down and get those muscles lengthened back out after you've contracted and pushed them hard!
I hope this helps! If you want set up your FREE 30 minute consultation with me, just comment below or message me with your e-mail. Can't wait to chat more :)
By for now!
Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals (part 2)
Yesterday we learned that one of the top struggles people deal with is TIME....
Today I want to talk about having a PLAN. To be successful, it's very important to have a plan both for fitness AND nutrition. Those two things are intimately connected and while nutrition can sometimes stand alone, fitness should never be separated from nutrition!
When it comes to time spent at the gym, most people simply don't know what to do. I know for a long time I didn't either! You may go the gym with every good intention, excitement even! The you look around, feel very overwhelmed, and possibly embarrassed, because you aren't sure how to use the equipment or even know what muscles to focus on, what weights to use, or how many reps to do to be effective....so you may try some free weight exercises that you learned in high school just to get it in, or you hop on the cardio machines and sweat away for hours at a time.....but still you are constantly frustrated because you aren't seeing the results you want!
This is nothing to be ashamed about, but it IS something that can change. The number 1 thing I would encourage you to do is learn about free weights and begin to lessen your cardio efforts. If you learn how to do circuit training with free weights you will be killing two birds (or 3) with one stone as you:
- increase your bone density, balance, coordination (benefits of weight training)
- AND improve your cardiovascular abilities (benefits of circuit training)
- Cut your workout time in half!
Most gyms have trainers available and if you choose to workout at a gym I would encourage you to use one! Proper form, timing, and a planned program are important to your success and injury prevention.
Or, you have another option. Allow me help you find your perfect at home workout program! With clear, guided instructions, access to me for any questions you have and a pre-planned results driven program all laid out, I know you will reach your goals faster than before! You may wonder why as a certified personal trainer I still do at home Beachbody workouts myself....#1 because they are effective -plain and simple! But #2, they save me TIME and PLANNING! I don't want to sit down and create my OWN program, that's like a doctor coming up with their own protocol. Possible, but no fun. I know that I see results from these programs and all I have to do is push play and show up! That works for me, and I know it can work for you too! :)
Similarly, like we mentioned yesterday, consistency is key in nutrition...and I believe that nutrition is 90% of achieving your overall health goals as well as a goal number on the scale. That 90% cannot be achieved without a plan!
I know firsthand how difficult transitioning to a healthy diet can be! It's takes TIME, it takes PLANNING, it takes RESEARCH it takes commitment....who has energy for THAT when you are trying to get everything else done?!
That's why I focus a lot on nutrition in my monthly challenge groups. I have spent the past 5 years gathering information for myself, implementing it, trying different things, and finding out what WORKS. In the past year I have worked with my challengers and even individual clients to help them reach their goals and learn how to make healthy living a lifestyle! In my challenge groups I share:
- how I eat and why
- how I broke free from the yo-yo diet mentality
- how I can eat whatever I want whenever I want because I now know what ingredients to use.
- how to get relief from a restrictive mindset, enjoy your food, and make it work FOR you not against you!
I do all of this to save you the time, energy, and effort that it took me! I provide meal plans, tips, encouragement and recipes to make it easy for you. You will be provided with all the tools and resources you need to be successful longterm!
So who is ready to come up with a PLAN?! I have a new challenge group opening March 6th ( that's THIS MONDAY!) You can message me for details, ask for a video chat consultation, or just let me know you're ready to jump in and we can GET STARTED TODAY!
Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals (part 1)
According to Bodybuilding.com, 73% of people who set a new years resolution give up on it before they have reached their goal. Within that number, 36% said that it's difficult to find the time to workout consistently.
We all know that in order to reach our goals consistency is key! One bite of broccoli isn't going to counteract years of eating pop tarts. But consistently choosing vegetables over packaged treats WILL make a difference long term. Similarly, one time at the gym every couple of weeks will have no effect, but finding time in your day regularly and showing up as a habit WILL.
I totally get it, making time for working out is tough - by the time you motivate yourself to get moving, get dressed, go outside in the cold to drive to the gym, get to the gym and workout by yourself, then drive home and shower you've probably used up about 2 hours of your precious time!
When you have spouse, kids, and work obligations 2 hours is giving up a lot of time that could be spent planning your day, eating breakfast with your family, sleeping in, or otherwise being productive!
That's why I LOVE Beachbody at home workouts. I used to have every good intention of getting to the gym on a regular basis and forcing myself to workout for an hour every time. But honestly, I would make excuses like it's too cold out or flat out say "I don't want to today". But when I started using my at home workout programs that all changed. When I know that all I have to do is get my body down in my basement and push play then I truly eliminate all my excuses! With most workouts timing in at 30 minutes or less, I began to see BETTER results in LESS time than I ever had before!
*Less time
*Better results
*Don't have to spend time figuring out my own workout
*Just push play
*100s of workouts at my disposal
If you haven't checked out the Beachbody on Demand ALL ACCESS pack yet, you NEED TO NOW! This provides you with access to EVERY Beachbody at home workout for a full year - PLUS the new workouts that will be launched in 2017. This means you can choose from cardio, bodybuilding, yoga, strength training, dance, and more... you'll never get bored AND you won't run out of new challenges and variety to keep it interesting.
I am more than happy to chat about your goals so that we can come up with an effective and doable plan for you to achieve them! This is just part 1. Stay tuned for more tips on achieving your goals in the next few days!
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Here's to your optimum health!
